Gaillardia plant named ‘Moxie’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Gaillardia , ‘Moxie’, characterized by its semi-compact plant habit and its inflorescences with ray florets that are fluted and yellow in color with orange highlight in the eye zone (base) and disk florets that are orange in color.

Botanical classification: Gaillardia×grandiflora.

Variety denomination: ‘Moxie’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to U.S. Plant Patent for plants from thesame breeding program entitled Gaillardia Plant Named ‘Frenzy’ (U. S.Plant Pat. No. 19.944) and Gaillardia Plant Named ‘Tizzy’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 19,943).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofGaillardia plant, botanically known as Gaillardia×grandiflora ‘Moxie’and will be referred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Moxie’.

‘Moxie’ was derived from a controlled breeding program conducted by theInventor in LaConner, Wash. The breeding program focuses on obtainingnew cultivars of Gaillardia with fluted ray florets. ‘Moxie’ arose froma cross made in June 2008 between Gaillardia×grandiflora ‘Frenzy’ as thefemale parent and an unnamed plant of Gaillardia grandiflora from theinventor's breeding program as the male parent. ‘Moxie’ was selected inAugust 2009 as a single unique plant from the resulting seedlings.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished via stemcuttings by the inventor in LaConner, Wash. in October 2009. Thecharacteristics of this cultivar have been determined to be stable andare reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar of Gaillardia. Theseattributes in combination distinguish ‘Moxie’ as unique from all othervarieties of Gaillardia known to the Inventor.

-   -   1. ‘Moxie’ exhibits inflorescences with ray florets that are        fluted and yellow in color with orange highlight in the eye zone        (base) and disk florets that are orange in color.    -   2. ‘Moxie’ exhibits a semi-compact plant habit.    -   3. ‘Moxie’ blooms earlier in the season than the male parent.    -   4. ‘Moxie’ blooms later in the season than its female parent.

‘Frenzy’, the female parent, differs from ‘Moxie’ in having ray floretsthat are longer, red to orange in color, in being less vigorous, inbeing more difficult to propagate, and in blooming earlier. The maleparent differs from ‘Moxie’ in having ray florets that are not flutedand lack orange highlights in the eye zone, in having a less compactplant habit, and in blooming later. ‘Moxie’ can also be compared toGaillardia cultivars ‘Fanfare’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,892) and ‘Tizzy’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,944). ‘Fanfare’ differs from ‘Moxie’ in havingray florets that are yellow-orange in color with red highlights. ‘Tizzy’differs from ‘Moxie’ in having ray florets that are red in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Gaillardia. The photographs weretaken of a plant two years in age as grown outdoors in a 3-galloncontainer in LaConner, Wash.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a view of a ‘Moxie’ in bloom (centerplant in a mixed container).

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the inflorescenceof ‘Moxie’. The colors in the photographs are as close as possible withthe digital photography and printing techniques utilized and the colorcodes in the detailed botanical description accurately describe thecolors of the new Gaillardia.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The detailed botanical data was collected from plants 6 months in age asgrown outdoors in 6-inch containers in LaConner, Wash. The phenotype ofthe new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic,and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming season.—Continuously from mid May to hard frost            (end of October) in LaConner, Wash.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Compact and upright.        -   Height and spread.—12 to 18 inches in height and 18 to 24            inches in width.        -   Cold hardiness.—U.S.D.A. Zones 5.        -   Diseases resistance.—No susceptibility or resistance to            diseases has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings, root cuttings, and tissue            culture.        -   Growth rate.—Moderately vigorous.-   Stem description:    -   -   Stem shape.—Rounded.        -   Stem aspect.—Upright.        -   Stem strength.—Moderate.        -   Stem color.—144C.        -   Stem surface.—Pubescent.        -   Lateral branch length.—Average of 18 cm (excluding            peduncles).        -   Lateral branch diameter.—Average of 4 mm.        -   Quantity of lateral branches.—About 8 per plant in a 6-inch            container.        -   Internode length.—Average of 5 cm.        -   Branching.—Freely branched.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf shape.—Broadly oblanceolate to linear-oblong.        -   Leaf base.—Decurrent.        -   Leaf apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Leaf margin.—Entire.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, 138D in color on upper and lower            surface.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower surfaces; glabrous.        -   Leaf color.—Young foliage; upper surface 143A, lower surface            143B, mature foliage; upper surface, 143A, and lower surface            143B.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 7 cm in length and 3 cm in width.-   Flower description:-   General description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal capitulum with many disc            florets, one row of ray florets, and three rows of            involucral bracts.        -   Rate of flowering.—Terminal inflorescence opens before            lateral inflorescence.        -   No. of days required for flowering response.—An average of 8            weeks.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 3 weeks, persistent.        -   Inflorescence aspect.—Held upright.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately in strength, slightly sweet,            chrysanthemum-like.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 10 per plant in a 6-inch            container.        -   Inflorescence buds.—About 10 mm in depth and 25 mm in            diameter, flattened globular in shape, color 144C with            center 144D.        -   Inflorescence size.—About 2 cm in depth and 7 cm in            diameter, diameter of disk about 2.5 cm.        -   Receptacle.—Flattened globular in shape, about 4 mm in            depth, 3 mm in diameter, 144C in color.        -   Peduncle.—Round in shape, upright, moderately strong, 142D            in color, about 12 cm in length and 3 mm in diameter,            surface slightly pubescent with soft hairs.        -   Involucral bracts (phyllaries).—Average of 30 per            inflorescence, arranged in 3 rows, lanceolate to narrowly            ovate in shape, narrowly acute apex, broadly cuneate base,            margin entire and covered in villous hairs, upper surface            dull and smooth and lower surface dull and densely covered            with short hairs, 143B in color, about 25 mm in length and            15 mm in width.-   Ray florets (capitulate):    -   -   Number.—Average of 18.        -   Arrangement.—Rotate, 1 whorl.        -   Appearance.—Upper surface smooth and dull, lower surface            dull moderately covered with short hairs.        -   Shape.—Tubular (fluted), lower half fused into tube.        -   Aspect.—Held slightly upward.        -   Size.—Average of 3 cm in length and 20 mm in width.        -   Petal apex.—Three-lobed.        -   Petal base.—Tubular; flared at terminal.        -   Petal margins.—Entire.        -   Petal texture.—Upper surface smooth, lower surface            moderately covered with short hairs.        -   Petal color.—Opening; inner surface 14A, outer surface 14A,            fully open; outer surface 14A, inner surface 14A, senescing;            upper surface 14B, lower surface 14C.-   Disk florets (perfect):    -   -   Quantity.—Average of 60.        -   Shape.—Tubular with upper 30% free.        -   Arrangement.—Spiral concentric towards center of disc.        -   Size.—About 3 mm in length and 1 mm in width.        -   Apex.—Free, narrowly acute, entire margin.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Texture.—Glabrous on inner and outer surfaces.        -   Color.—When opening upper and lower surface; tip 14A,            mid-section 13C and base 144D, mature upper and lower            surface; tip N25A, mid-section 14A and base 144D.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Presence.—Disk flowers are perfect, ray flowers are            carpellate.        -   Gynoecium.—1 pistil per disk and ray floret, 1.1 cm in            length, stigma decurrent and 14C in color, style 2 mm in            length and 14C in color, ovary 144C in color.        -   Androecium.—5 stamen per disk floret, filament 10 mm in            length and 3D in color, anther linear in shape, about 2 mm            in length and 3D in color with apex 203A, pollen; moderate            in quantity and 14A in color.        -   Fruit and seed.—No fruits or seeds observed to date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Gaillardia plantdesignated ‘Moxie’ as described and illustrated herein.